California - first state to legalize marijuana?

[rtil]

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2009/10/...1337846-ap.html

Marijuana advocates are gathering signatures to get as many as three pot-legalization measures on the ballot in 2010 in California, setting up what could be a groundbreaking clash with the federal government over U.S. drug policy.

At least one poll shows voters would support lifting the pot prohibition, which would make the state of 40 million the first in the nation to legalize marijuana.

personally, i don't smoke marijuana, and i have no interest to, but i think the fact we have anti-marijuana drug-fighting czars from federal to state level, busting people for years in prison for growing a plant, is beyond stupid and a huge waste of money.

the government has no business telling us what we can and can't put in our bodies, and i would defend that right by voting for legalization of marijuana. not only would it decriminalize a harmless plant, but it would also bring in millions in state revenue. i've been told that the plant is difficult to grow on your own accord, so i'm sure the agriculture business would be more than happy to farm it. not to mention, hemp itself would be great for the manufacturing industry.

besides, california is bankrupt, they really need a new source of revenue, and i don't think a recession is going to stop people from smoking marijuana.

[Jeinu]

they might as well to help empty out some way overcrowded jails, then they could finally put the money into something more sensible like education or eco-friendly energy

probably putting a big ol tax on it would help to rake in a lot of revenue too

[emanhattan]

marihuana smells 10 times worse than the average shit

[shura]

are they planning on making a "smoking age" for pot like they have for cigarettes, or will pot be legal to everyone of all ages?

[emanhattan]

I would aprove it depending on things like where can you smoke it. I wouldnt want to walk around town and find 20 people under influence of it along the way. plus it smells awful

[jjjjjjjjjj]

yes      [ 10 ]     ** [90.91%]
no    [ 1 ]    ** [9.09%]

OK WHO VOTED NO

[emanhattan]

it was bug he hates marihuana

[CoolDrMoney]

yes      [ 10 ]     ** [90.91%]
no    [ 1 ]    ** [9.09%]

OK WHO VOTED NO

What if you wanted another state to be the first instead?

[ansel]

i do not smoke weed regularly but i'd support its legalization

because i'm sick of listening to lazy stoners bitching

fuck da po leese etc etc

[rtil]

yes      [ 10 ]     ** [90.91%]
no    [ 1 ]    ** [9.09%]

OK WHO VOTED NO

What if you wanted another state to be the first instead?

the name of the poll is "would you vote to legalize marijuana in your state"

pwned

[Casey Pixmintro]

Pot is California's #1 cash crop anyway so they might as well fix their $40 billion deficit by legalizing it.

[jjjjjjjjjj]

yes      [ 14 ]     ** [87.50%]
no    [ 2 ]    ** [12.50%]

anOTHER ONE WHO IT BE

[ansel]

it was me i voted against it cuz drugz r 4 losers.... i dont need chemicals to have a good time... i'm high on life!!!!!!!!!!...

[texas]

i do not know anything about this subject so i am not voting that makes me the coolest  

[Necronomitr0n]

pretty much what ansel said

the first post he made btw

[W.A.C.]

It's stupid to have pot illegal. Personally, I wish no drugs were illegal. Then people wouldn't have the whole "Well it's legal" excuse for drugs like alcohol. A drug legality should not be a factor in whether or not it should be socially acceptable.

[ansel]

you.... you smoke WEED?

fucking hell dude my mom doesn't like me to be friends with druggies... man, keep your shit out of my life OK BRO OK
man you think you know someone and then... and then this

weed ruined our friendship true story

[trent bortknob]

yeah i think part of the reason people are so judgemental about people on drugs is because they
re illegal

i mean at almost every adult social gathering people are drinking, and usually it\\\'s the majority that do so

if you see a bunch of teens smoking weed its a really big deal though, and those kids are associated with "going down the wrong road" or just being bad kids that steal things and write graffiti

if you see an adult drinking and you question it he/she can just say "oh well this is the only way i can relax and besides im a responsible adult lol!" but if a kids is smoking weed (or even drinking for that matter) then he immediately needs drug rehabilitation and to get his life on track

i mean im not saying that drugs are GOOD, but just because something is illegal doesnt mean that it is a bad thing to do

i would definitely vote for marijuana to become legal

now i dont know if i believe that the government shouldny have ANY involvement in what we put in our bodies, because then people could buy a lot of dangerous chemicals and either commit suicide or kill/hurt someone with them

there needs to be some limit but i dont think that marijuana should be put into the dangerous category because i dont believe that it\\\'s any worse than cigarettes or drinking

[rtil]

yeah i think part of the reason people are so judgemental about people on drugs is because they
re illegal

i mean at almost every adult social gathering people are drinking, and usually it's the majority that do so

if you see a bunch of teens smoking weed its a really big deal though, and those kids are associated with "going down the wrong road" or just being bad kids that steal things and write graffiti

if you see an adult drinking and you question it he/she can just say "oh well this is the only way i can relax and besides im a responsible adult lol!" but if a kids is smoking weed (or even drinking for that matter) then he immediately needs drug rehabilitation and to get his life on track

i mean im not saying that drugs are GOOD, but just because something is illegal doesnt mean that it is a bad thing to do

i would definitely vote for marijuana to become legal

now i dont know if i believe that the government shouldny have ANY involvement in what we put in our bodies, because then people could buy a lot of dangerous chemicals and either commit suicide or kill/hurt someone with them

there needs to be some limit but i dont think that marijuana should be put into the dangerous category because i dont believe that it's any worse than cigarettes or drinking

this is one of the best points about legalization - alcohol is a far more dangerous substance than marijuana, and it is legal and sold in every state. not only that, but the prohibition of alcohol in the early 20th century didn't curb the selling and consumption of alcohol at all, and instead caused one of the largest crime rises in trafficking and gang activity in history. and what do gangs today do? traffic illegal drugs, of course. how else would they stay around?

the demonization and criminalization of marijuana is funded almost completely by companies who are threatened by commercial hemp, like the paper industry. they lobbied for illegalizing the simple growth of the plant, which of course lead to the anti-marijuana "drug war" movement. their anti-marijuana campaign is what single-handedly keeps politicians from doing the right thing, even though marijuana has nothing to do with their industry, it indirectly suits their profit margin. although, if politicians are concerned about keeping their power, the movement to legalize it has grown significantly, and i don't think it's "political suicide" to make it legal anymore. the regan years are dead and gone.

and as far as the government stepping in somewhere, there is a place for that, and that's when you get to military-grade compounds. but as far as 'dangerous chemicals' and the ability to kill themselves or others, this is something you just cannot stop. you can go to home depot and build some sort of chemical gas bomb out of things you could buy there. it would be a wasted effort on the government's part. instead these kinds of resources and money should be put into local police forces, so they have the tools to keep a city safe. the best policed cities are always the best to live in.

[99]

while my views on drugs are already known, i agree that it is a bit silly to ban a plant that gives you a case of the giggles and makes you want to consume ungodly amounts of snack food.  the main thing i would worry about is it would effect everyday society.  would public "highness"  be treated as public drunkenness is or would stoners be allowed to waste everyone's time and act generally asinine in establishments such as theaters, grocery stores, public parks etc?  i think it would be retarded to have to wait in line for stupid amounts of time behind an increased number in stoners at Subway...then again, stoners already DO frequent Subway.

my other main concern would be how our DUI laws would handle a possible increase in high drivers.  since pot does slow down reaction time, its a bit unnerving for me to think of being on the road with an increased number of individuals driving under the influence.  how would such infractions be treated, with more or less tolerance than those driving under the influence of alcohol?

all in all, i don't really condemn the legalization of pot so much as i worry about its effects on everyday life.  its my opinion that a legalization of pot must be treated like alcohol; it must have legal restrictions in place so that public life remains in equilibrium.  but hell i don't give a shit what you do at home.